Conflict Management among Malay Married Couples: An Analysis on Their Strategies & Tactics

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the strategies and tactics used in conflict management and analyze their effectiveness based on quantitative methodology. Probability sampling of 300 respondents in Selangor, Malaysia consisting of Malay married couples were selected using cluster sampling. The findings showed that the strategies were competing, collaborating, compromising, avoiding and accommodating. In average, around 80 percent of Malay married couples chose collaborating strategy whereas competing was less popular. However, the most popular tactic among the respondents is trying to do what is necessary to avoid tension which is under the avoiding strategy. Two-way communication and compromise were seen to be the essence in keeping longevity and success in marriage. The study revealed that there was a change in conflict management among Malay married couples which can be related to the economic development of society, technological advances, political scenarios and the influx of foreign culture. Nonetheless, along with the changes in Malaysia's economic system, modern Malay couples are more open-minded. Therefore, couples in this study tend to see conflicts as problems that need to be solved, wanting quality decisions that truly resolve the issues. They believe in the power of consensus and in sharing of information and achieving understanding with one another.

Communication, the Heart of a Relationship: Examining Capitalization, Accommodation, and Self-Construal on Relationship Satisfaction

“…Thus, the maintenance of a satisfying relationship cannot be fully understood and appreciated without sufficient knowledge of the cultural underpinnings of communication in romantic relationships and specific situational contexts. While a few studies have examined certain variables and couple satisfaction in Malaysia (e.g., Hoesni et al, 2016 ; Abdullah et al, 2017 ; Abidin et al, 2018 ), knowledge about the psychology of positive communication processes through conflicts and triumphs and how culture impacts these interactional processes are rather oblique.…”

“…Yum ( 2004 ) explained that the disparities and new findings may be due to modernization, implying that behaviors of people are influenced by the degree of democratization, industrialization, and westernization within the environmental culture they live in. While a few studies in Malaysia have investigated couple communication tactics in conflicts (e.g., Tam et al, 2011b ; Abdullah et al, 2017 ), there is no literature focused directly on accommodation processes. It is also not yet known to what extent dating partners in Malaysia may perceive beneficial responses in managing conflicts.…”

The Necessity for the Formulation of an Online Family Dispute Resolution Management Framework in Malaysia

“…Through this tactic, the parties will try to do whatever is necessary to avoid tensions and further disputes. 14 Lack of communication skills and conflict tactics could however be detrimental to the marriage and could lead to separation and divorce when not managed effectively from the early stages.…”